Car-coupling



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

P. G. LAWRENCE.

Y CAR GOUPLING.

Patented Feb.20,18831.

(mi Model.) v2 sheets-sheet 2.

' F.' G. LAWRENCE.

No. 272,712. 2793, Patented 12613201883.

Wwf-wsa f www fave/725074 N. PETERS. Phommhugmpher. wamingwn. D.C.

UNITED STATES ATENT einen.

FRANK G. LAWRENCE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingv part of Letters Patent No. 272,712, dated February 20, 1883. Application tiled August 9, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- i

Be it known that I, FRANK G. LAWRENCE, a citizen ot the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in OarGouplings, of which the fol lowing is -a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. making part of this specification, in Which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of acompound -draw-head constructed in accordance with my invention', the parts heilig represented in their locking position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, with the parts in the position they occupy when the draw-hook is ready to be unlocked 'romthe opposite drawhead to j allow two contiguous cars to be disengaged.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through two con.

tiguous compound draw-heads coupled or connected by their draw-hooks. Fig. 4is a vertical section in the direction of the linew ot Fig. 3. Fig. is a horizontal section, showing the adaptation ofthe central portion of my compound draw-head in coupling a carot' the ordi- 'nary construction provided with the'common form ofdraw-head now in use. Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the manner of manipulating` from the top ota carthe shipper which operates my rolling draw-hook; Figs.7 and 8, sectional details representing the manner of operating the sliding shipper by the rod which leads to the top ot' the car.

My invention relates particularly to that class ofcar-couplers designed exclusively for freight-cars, or those without projecting platforms; anditconsistsinacompounddraw-head having a yielding side, in combination with a rotating coupling or draw hook connected by suitable mechanism with a sliding shipper, operated either from the side ofthe track or top of the car, my said draw-head being either automatically locked to the contiguous similar draw-head of the next car or locked. by operating the shipper after the draw-hook has reacned the portion ot' the opposite drawhead with which it engages, the unlocking of the draw-hook being only accomplished by Voperating the shipper, my said draw-head being readily applied to the common style of freight-car with tritling labor and cost, and

.containing an auxiliary shackling-link, O, and

an outer portion, c, for the entrance and engagement of a draw-hook, D, (similar to 15,) projecting from a portion, d, ot' a compound draw-head, E, attached to the contiguous end ofthe next car. this latter draw-head, E, being composed ot' three portions rl ef of similar construction to those a c ot' the draw-head A, but with the position ot its outer portions elf, transposed or inverted. (See Fig. 3.)

The portion c of the draw-head A is longer or projects out beyond the central portion, b, and this portion b is longer or projects out be- -vond the portion a, the length and construction of the portion c being the same as the portionfof the drawhead E, but located on the opposite side and ill line with the portion cl.

The portion a ofthe draw-head A isof the same length and construction as the portion d ot the drawhead E, but located on opposite sides thereof', being in line with the portion f ot' the drawhead E. The central portion, b, ofthe draw-head A is in line with and corresponds to the central portion, e, ol' the drawhead E, and the auxiliary link U, which it contains, is to be used in case ot' accident to one or both ot' the draw-hooks B D, and also in coupling with an ordinary car provided only with the.common form ot' draw-head. The draw-hook B is provided with a turned-down cylindrical portion, g, which passes through a. cylindrical opening in an abutment, h, which closes the rear end of the portion tof the drawhead A, the extreme inner end oi' the drawhook being square, and having iitted thercover a washer, F, which bears against the conical rear of the abutment h, a washer, Gr, bearing against the washer F, and the lower end of a bent arm, H, bearing against the washer G,

IOO

this arm H being kept in place upon the inner square end of the draw-hook by an iron pin,i. The upperend of the bent arm H is pivoted at 9 to one end of a link, I, the other end of which is connected with the lower end of a collar, K, surrounding a turiied-down portion of a long iiat shipper, L, provided with handles k 7c and made to slide transversely across the end of the car in guides l l, secured near the opposite ends and to the front side of a vertical frame, M, extending transversely across the draw-head, the base m ofthe frame fitting into ways formed between two blocks, 11 12, secured irmly to the top of the draw.- head A, the frame bei ng held rigidly in place within the ways by a bolt, n, locked withina post, 13, rising from the block 11 by means of a pin, 111. The rear block, 12, extends up across'the top of the draw-head and affords an unyielding hearing for the frame on which the shipper L slides, Fi. 4. The length of the shipper is intended to be less than the width of a car, so as not to project when shifted beyond the line of the side of the car. This shipper is provided with four rectangular notches, l5 16 17 18, cut in its upper or outer edge, the said notches, when brought in line with or opposite the guides or stops Z l, allowing the shipper to tip or turn by its gravity from a vertical position, as seen in Fig. 2, to a horizontal position, as seen .in Fig. l, orvvice versa, the sliding of the shipper through its connections with the draw-hook causing the latter ,to rotate from one position to another, Figs. 1, 2, 3.

The outer side ofthe portion c of the drawhead A consists ot' a strong leaf of spring metal, the forward end of this spring N being enlarged and fitting against a shoulder, p, at the rear of the front ot" 'this portion, the interior of the enlarged front of this spring being rounded, and in its normal position projecting in beyond the line of the adjacent inner side of the front of the portion c, in order that the` drawhook B, after entering the latter, may come into contact with the spring N and be guided. beyond and behind the inner square face q and lock therewith, the tension of the spring being sufficiently great to keep the draw-hook from unlocking during any swaying of the train from a right line. The inner end of the spring is provided with a shoulder, fr, abutting against the inside of the rear of the draw-hea d, atid is secured by screws 19; but these screws may be dispensed with.

P is a strong metal plate secured to the side of the draw-head outsidethe spring,to prevent the accidentaldisplacement thereof, and serves as a fulcrum on which it bears when yielding or vibrating outwardly. By unscrewing the inner end ofthe spring and grasping its front enlarged end it may be removed from its position.

When two cars provided with my improvements are to be coupled the two shippers at the contiguous ends of the cars are drawn while in their vertical position to their respective sides until the notches 16 18 of each come into line with the guides Z l, when the shippers are free to tip into a horizontal locked position, causing the drawhooks D to rotate into a horizontal position, and with the parts in such position the two cars may be run together and locked automatically. Two cars may also be coupled by bringing them together with their draw-hooks in the position seen in Fig. 1 until their engaging portions pass beyond and over the sliouldered faces q of the inside of the portions of of the draw-,heads A E, when the shippers are slid by the operator until thehooks are rotated, as before described, thus locking the cars-securely, as desired. Two cars cannot be purposely unlocked without manipulating the shippers, it being simply necessary to pull them in the direction of the arrow till the notches 15 17 come in line with the guides Z l, when the draw-hooks are rotated away from their lockitig faces with each hook upward, as i seen in Fig. l.

s s are stops for preventing the accidental sliding ofthe shipper beyond the points where the notches 15 16 17 18 come in line with the guides l l. Instead of sliditig the shipper by hand from either side of the track, it may be slid from the top of a car by means of a lever, t, Fig. 6, pivoted `at it to the end ot' the car,V and having its lower end so connected with the flat shipper-bar as to admit of the movements of the latter from a vertical to a horizontal plane, and vice versa, (see Figs. 7 and 8,) it being simply necessary to pull upon the lever t to tip the dat surface of the shipper L from a horizontal to a vertical plane, in which latter position it is free to be slid longitudi- Iially and rotate the draw-hook into its locking position.

Shouldait happen that the draw-heads A E and draw-hooks B D of'two cars be inoperative, or should it be desired to couple one car having my compound draw-head with a car not so provided-for instance, a car having the old style of draw-head and common shacklinglinkI couple them in tlieiollowing manner: The auxiliary link O is run out of the central portion, b, (after removing the bolt 17,) until the inner end of the lilik comes against a stationary pin, w, extending between the top and bottom of this portion of the draw-head, the outer end of theV link entering the old style of draw-head, and being locked by the passage ofthe removable bolt o down through it. This auxiliary link C consists of two portions, one a short closed portion, 2U, in front, and a long portion, 21, in the rear, provided with an opening, 22, by which the link,after being tipped vertically, so as to bring the opening in litie with the stationary pin w, may be disengaged therefrom and drawn out by inserting the hand at the rear 0f this portion of the draw-head should the link be bent or otherwise damaged.

My compound draw head is designed to` IIO withstand the heavy strain and wear incident to the use of freight-cars, audits several portions are so constructed and arranged in relation to each other as to admit of their ready removal and replacement.

l claiml. As a n irnprovementin couplers forfreightears, the compound draw-head A, consisting; of the port-ions a b c, secured to one ear, and the compound draw-head E, consistineot' the portions l e f, secured to the contiguous car, the respective portions ot each draw-head being,r of different lengfhs and the positions of the prtions ofone draw-head being' transposed or inverted with those of the other, iuorder that they may interlock and the long portion of each corne into line with the short portion ol` the other, in combination with the rotating draw-hoolts B D, opera-ted by shippers accessible from the side or top of the car7 substantially as described.

2. Two compound draw-heads, A E, with lheir portions a b c d ef, the outer side of each portion cf being,1 formed by a spring, N, in combination with sliding shippers L L, rotating draw-hooks B D, and their connecting mechanism, as and for the purpose explained.

3. ln combination, the sliding shipper L, with its notches l 16 1718 and handles k r, a shipper-supporting frame, M, provided with guides-Z land secured to the drawhead A, a rotating` draw-hook, B, and the mechanism connecting it with the shipper, as and for the purpose specitied.

4. The sliding shipper L, provided with notches 16 17,18 and with suitable stops, in combination with the lever t, having its lower end loosely connected in such manner with said shipperthat thelatter may be tipped so as to bring' its ill-at surface from a horizontal to a. vertical plane, and vice versa, as and for the purpose set forth. A

5. The ways formed between the blocks l1 12, secured to the draw-head A, in combination with the shipper-frame M, secured within said ways, as and for the purpose described.

6. The central portion, b, of a draw-head, provided with a stationary bolt, w, in combination with an auxiliary shackling-link, C, consisting of two portions, one provided With an opening` in its side to admit of the removal ot' the link after ripping it on its edge, as and for the purpose described. f

7. The central portion, b, of a draw-head,

' A, provided with a removable bolt, v, and a stationary bolt, fw, in combination with an auxiliary shackling-link, C, formed of two portions, 21, with an opening, 22, in the rear portion, 2l, as and for the purpose set I'orth.

fitness my hand this 4th day of August, 1882.

F. L. MoGoWAN, EDWARD J. Jones. 

